Chapter 8 - The Voice That Wasn’t Ethan
Ethan’s voice was easy to obtain.
Corporate speeches.
Charity interviews.
Family foundation videos.
Voicemail greetings.
Modern synthesis could imitate him.
But this call had been made eight months earlier.
Still feasible.
The harder part was Claire.
Rebecca Sloan remembered speaking to Claire too.
Separate call.
“Claire” sounded tired and emotional.
She approved transferring “remaining viable twin derivative to gestational carrier.”
Claire swore no call occurred.
Audio showed synthesis too.
Somebody fabricated both parents.
This shifted matter from negligent paperwork to deliberate fraud.
Who had technical ability?
St. Catherine used a patient-call automation vendor.
Voice verification system recorded phrases.
Vendor:
Helix Communications.
Systems administrator at time:
David Keene.
Martin’s younger brother.
Now conspiracy looked familial.
David denied creating fake calls.
He demonstrated synthesis software vendor used only for appointment reminders, not consent.
But internal logs showed experimental voice model for accessibility feature.
Claire and Ethan recordings existed.
Who accessed?
Account:
CVALE.
Catherine Vale.
Eleanor’s sister.
Catherine went pale.
She had indeed accessed voice archive.
But months later, while investigating.
Log timestamps? Audit showed access both before transfer and after.
Before-transfer session was from Catherine credential.
She denied.
Could be stolen.
Again.
Ethan was tired of credentials.
“Who was physically there?”
Security badge records:
Martin Keene.
Elaine Porter.
Catherine Vale.
David Keene.
Anna Martin.
All five had been onsite at various times.
Then a forgotten camera answered partly.
Helix server room footage showed Anna entering before fake calls.
Anna admitted.
She had been instructed by operations director to retrieve system backup.
Who?
Martin Keene.
He gave ticket.
Ticket genuine.
Anna copied voice archive onto encrypted drive because server migration scheduled.
She delivered drive to Martin’s office assistant.
Name:
Vanessa Cole.
No, avoid repetitive names maybe Jessica Lane. Let's use Natalie Price.
Natalie Price, twenty-seven, executive assistant.
Current whereabouts:
Working at Bright Path Surrogacy.
Monica Keene's office.
Investigators interviewed Natalie.
She broke within an hour.
Martin had asked her prepare “consent simulation” for internal training.
He provided Ethan and Claire recordings.
Natalie used Helix tool to generate sample call.
She believed it was demonstration.
She later discovered audio attached to real transfer authorization.
She confronted Martin.
He told her it had been mistakenly uploaded and would be removed.
She believed him.
Why never report?
She feared losing job and immigration? She's American likely. Career fear enough.
Then who generated Claire version?
Natalie did both.
Under instruction.
Martin now faced direct evidence.
He admitted ordering simulations.
But denied intending use as consent.
Could somebody else misuse them?
Files stored shared executive folder.
Monica had access.
Elaine?
No.
Catherine?
No.
Rebecca Sloan received them from email:
Shared account managed by Natalie and Martin.
Then financial incentive surfaced.
St. Catherine acquisition agreement contained bonus:
$1.8 million distributed to executive team if annual live-birth threshold exceeded by June 30.
Sarah’s pregnancy counted.
Without it, threshold missed by one.
Martin personally stood to receive $310,000.
Now motive was concrete.
But one question remained.
Why use Bennett embryo instead of another legitimate case?
Because Baby B had no legal patient identity after split.
It could be transferred with less visible inventory disruption if records manipulated.
Martin had taken medical anomaly and turned it into performance statistic.
Eleanor whispered:
“He created a child to hit a number.”
Detective Brooks corrected:
“He transferred an existing embryo without consent to hit a number. Don't turn child into number while describing wrongdoing.”
Eleanor lowered eyes.
Important distinction.
Baby B was a person now.
Not fraud artifact.
Then Claire asked whether Baby A had been endangered too.
Audit found Martin had changed Claire's file label from A1 to A after Baby B transfer.
Not medical care.
Just conceal second origin.
Her pregnancy remained appropriately monitored.
But the vial still troubled Ethan.
Why was fetal medication labeled Baby A instead of Claire Bennett?
Maternal-fetal specialist said St. Catherine had sent customized compounded medication under fetal case code after consultation.
Who ordered it?
Electronic request:
DR. MARTIN KEENE.
Keene was fertility specialist.
Not Claire’s cardiologist.
May you like
He had inserted himself into Baby A care that morning.
And concentration in vial did not match Claire’s prescription.
